The group were formed in Colchester in Essex in 1963 as Dane Stephens and The Deep Beats, later evolving into The Fairies.
They signed to Decca in 1964 releasing their first single, a cover of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright and making newspaper headlines when members of the group were arrested for climbing up a statue.
In 1965 they moved to HMV and recorded Get Yourself Home, written by their road manager Johnnie Dee. Previously Dee’s composition Don’t Bring Me Down had been rejected by The Fairies and became a hit instead for The Pretty Things.
Original vocalist Doug Ord was replaced in 1965 by Nick Wymer while Ord spent time in jail for manslaughter following a road accident. He had been driving the group’s van without any licence or insurance when he hit a car and killed a number of people.
The Fairies had split up by 1967. Drummer Twink Alder went on to play with Tomorrow, The Pretty Things and The Pink Fairies. Guitarist Freddy Gandy joined Bluesology alongside Long John Baldry, Elton Dean and Reg Dwight (Elton John).
Nick Wymer
Vocals
John ‘Freddy’ Gandy
Guitar
John ‘Akky’ Acutt
Guitar
Mick ‘Wimps’ Weaver
Bass
John ‘Twink’ Alder
Drums
Doug Ord (Dane Stephens)
Vocals
